Care in Funerals Project
Project Outputs
On this page you can find links to some of the important pieces of work we have produced through the Care in Funerals project. We are continuing to develop ideas and writing based on the project, and will keep this page updated as new work is published.
You might also like to explore the project blog which contains the annotated slides from several project presentations given at academic and professional conferences, or the summary of project findings which we also shared with those who participated in project interviews.
The Care in Funerals Casebook
Edited by Vikki Entwistle, Arnar Arnason, Paul Kefford and Jennifer Riley
This exciting casebook is a collection of 12 ‘case stories’ which illustrate some of the practical and ethical concerns which can arise in funeral provision. Though fictitious, the stories are based on research for the Care in Funerals project, and are designed to prompt reflection on values and practices related to death and dying. They are accompanied by commentaries written by experienced practitioners and academics, as well as suggested questions for reflection and discussion. If you have any feedback about your experiences of using the casebook, we would love to hear from you – you can use the link on the home page to send it to the casebook team.
You can access the casebook here: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/sdhp/philosophy/care-in-funerals-casebook-2456.php
Why does funeral attendance matter? Revisiting ‘Configurational Eulogies’ in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK
By Jennifer Riley, Vikki Entwistle, Arnar Arnason, Louise Locock, Paolo Maccagno, Abi Pattenden and Rebecca Crozier
This article was published in June 2023 by the journal Mortality, an interdisciplinary, international journal for death studies research. It considers concerns about the insufficiency of pandemic funerals, and explores the alternative and additional ways people found to pay tribute to the deceased when funeral gatherings were restricted by COVID-19 legislation. We argue that while a ‘well-attended’ funeral still matters to many, we also need to look beyond these and explore other mourning activities through which people respond to somebody’s death.
You can read it online or download it free via https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2023.2225029
Hybrid funerals: how online attendance facilitates and impedes participation
By Jennifer Riley, Vikki Entwistle, Arnar Arnason, Louise Locock, Paolo Maccagno, Abi Pattenden and Rebecca Crozier
This article was published in April 2023 by the journal Mortality, an interdisciplinary, international journal for death studies research. It illustrates how, and explains why, people had varied experiences and evaluations of the hybrid in-person and online funerals they attended during the COVID-19 pandemic in Britain. We argue that virtual attendance was often considered less satisfactory because it did not allow people to participate well in important funeral activities, or to participate with others as they would in person. We also suggest ways in which the technology used affected people’s experiences when joining online.
You can read it online or download it free via https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2023.2201421
Revisiting funeral recordings during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK
By Jennifer Riley, Vikki Entwistle, Arnar Arnason, Louise Locock, Rebecca Crozier, Paolo Maccagno and Abi Pattenden
This short ‘viewpoint’ article was published in the journal Bereavement in February 2023. Bereavement: Journal of grief and responses to death was recently relaunched to improve understanding of grief, bereavement and death responses, and therefore improve support provided to bereaved people. Our article highlights the diverse experiences and opinions evident in the Care in Funerals interviews about revisiting recordings of people’s funerals after the funeral has taken place. We suggest that the ability to revisit recordings in this way needs to be considered carefully going forwards.
You can read it or download it free at https://doi.org/10.54210/bj.2023.1093